


These walls you've built

by jstrattford



Series: Youtuber AU [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Youtuber AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 14:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4394879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jstrattford/pseuds/jstrattford
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A kissing prank AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These walls you've built

**Author's Note:**

> This was a two-part [drabble](http://arie-172.tumblr.com/post/109613774162/pairing-niall-harry-w-c-2-100-summary-youtube) that I've added together. I hope you enjoy. And to anyone wondering, yes, there will be a proper oneshot to go with this soon.

In retrospect, Niall can say that the idea wasn’t anywhere near bad.

Walking with a camera in his hands to capture peoples’ reactions as Louis talked to them hardly seemed like an issue. Or at least that was what he thought, only to be told that it wasn’t exactly what they’d be doing.

“What do you mean kissing prank?” Niall frowned so hard that he felt his brows hit his hairline, a couple of lines emerging on his forehead as he watched Louis carefully.

“Obvious, isn’t it?” Louis smirked at him, writing in big letters  _Kiss Me, I’m Desperate_  on a cardboard paper.

“No.” Niall shook his head, “I mean, yes. But why?” He corrected himself, voiced edging towards irritation and annoyance.

“Social experiment,” Louis replied with incredulous eyes, as if Niall was the silly one in all of this.

“Right,” Niall murmured, fiddling with the camera clutched in his hands. “If that’s what we’re calling sexual harassment,” he added, because certainly Louis was aware of the risks in conducting a kissing prank.

However, if he was or wasn’t, Louis didn’t appear at all fazed.

“Mate, relax. I’m not gonna do it,” he said in that matter-of-factly way of his, brows tilted like he can't understand Niall's reluctance. “Like I said, it’s an experiment,” he explained as a noticeable, bright smile formed on his face as if saying  _watch and learn_ , holding the paper close to his chest and shouted to the first person he saw, and  _right_. Niall could tell this was going to be a long day, but got out his camera to film what he knew would be an interesting sight.

When he signed up to be Louis’ cameraman he never thought they’d even get views. They were just two normal lads filming as a way to distract themselves from their coursework – it was never meant to be anything else.

But then one of Louis’ video went viral, attracting 18 million views (their highest to date), and it became less of a way to distract themselves and more of a job that they now profited from because Louis’ channel grew from 10k subscribers to 1.8 million in a matter of two years.

Still, though.

They hadn’t quite replicated the success of their viral street dancing video. And it’s days like this that bring things into perspective, leaving Niall to wonder if this is something he still wants to do. If they still should be when they’re willing to stoop themselves down to this because there’s nothing really gratifying about asking girls if they’d like to snog – no matter how it’s approached.

It’s just day like this – days in which both their heads hurt from the lack of response from people – that really get to them.

“But why?” Louis frowns, lips tugging downwards because they’ve been at it for 2 hours with no response from anyone, which Niall can’t blame because it’s not something that he could see anyone agreeing to. Well, he could, but because Louis has been so abrasive, it’s hard.

“I’m dressed properly,” Louis starts again, tilting a brow in apprehension when he turns to meet Niall’s eyes. “I don’t have anything on my face, do I?”

“Nothing that looks off to me,” Niall shrugs, putting his camera to the side to take a seat on the bench, managing to coax out a bitter laugh from Louis despite his stressed-out state.

“Then why?” Louis sits down next to Niall as Niall shuts off his camera.

“Maybe it’s because this is like sexual harassment,” Niall tells him again, involuntarily letting out a deep breath.

“It’s a social experiment,” Louis maintains, voice stern.

“Whatever you want to call it, it’s borderline insulting,” Niall quips back, failing to sound as friendly as he wanted it to be because it earns another frown from Louis.

“Only if you’re…like you,” Louis pokes at Niall’s side.

“Ha,” Niall lets out as he rolls his eyes but chuckles softly, and Niall appreciates that despite his stress he can still find a way to laugh at himself.

“Alright, then,” Louis sighs out after a moment, hands over his eyes as he rubs them gently out of fatigue. “What do you suggest we do?”

“For starters you can stop shouting at every girl and bloke you see,” Niall suggests, smiling sheepishly at the way Louis’ face flicks into disbelief, because that's the thing about Louis. He's not very good at masking what he's feeling. 

“Mate, I was being assertive. You know, no bullshit, just honesty,” Louis maintains, conviction and irritation etched in his voice.

Niall shakes his head at the angry tone, nudging Louis' side playfully when he tells him, "and how’s that working out for you?” 

And perhaps that's the wrong thing to say because the muscles on Louis' face tense, clenching his teeth close together. 

“Fuck off,” Louis mutters back in a harsh tone, voice smeared with an annoyance that matches his facial expression. He perches his back against the bench for a moment but then his eyes light up quickly, turning his face ever so slightly to watch Niall with curious eyes.

“What?” Niall’s eyes suddenly widen in recognition. He’s seen that look before.

“I was just thinking…”

“That’s never good,” Niall’s quick to say, fingers loosening around his camera.

“Smart one, aren’t you,” Louis waves off Niall’s comment, appearing to be more intrigued now, titling his head to the side. Actually, it sounds a lot like he does whenever he gets some crazy idea, Niall realizes, heart beating rapidly in his chest that it’s creating some sort of constriction throughout his whole body.

 _Yeah_ , he decides. That tone is  _never_  good news.

Louis takes a deep breath as the solid pressure in Niall’s chest skyrockets.

“You want to give it a go?” Louis suggests, trying so hard to remain neutral but his voice is laced with clear amusement. “I’ll film; you ask,” he suggests, as everything inside Niall loosens into a very audible, bitter chuckle that resembles a  _no way_ that he's got no problem vocalizing. 

“Um, no.” Niall shakes his head, a large amount of disbelief present in his face. “Why would I want to ask random people if they want to snog?”

“Uh, maybe because we’re working together to get this out before Sunday,” Louis says, and shit. Niall had forgotten that this was a team effort, wincing at that. It was just like Louis to put this on him by pulling out the "team" thing.

“Just one,” Louis’ eyes turn sympathetic, clearly able to detect the large amount of reluctance swimming inside of Niall. “You can stop right after,” he suggests, knowing that it'll ease Niall a bit.

“But…”

“Come on,” Louis takes the camera from Niall’s hands and stands as Niall reluctantly follows his lead, unintentionally and wordlessly agreeing to another one of Louis' bright ideas. “Show me how it’s done,” Louis smiles, peeping his eyes through the lens with the camera facing Niall’s direction.

“Only if it is just one – ” Niall starts but Louis is already waving his hand wildly at the only person visibly in sight that’s walking towards them.

“You!” Louis calls out as Niall turns and catches a glimpse of the person, eyes going wide in his mortification.

“Hey! But that’s not – ”  _a girl,_  Niall wants to say, but the words run out when the guy tips his head upwards and the hat he was wearing exposes his face. Niall recognizes him instantly. So does Louis.

“Erm,” Louis coughs into his free hand, still filming.

“Yeah?” The guy swats a couple of curls out of his face, walking closer to them. He doesn’t look pissed but he most definitely looks intrigued. Niall is too because he’s seen his videos on multiple occasions, despite denying it to Louis (on account of them being rival channels). And he’s usually always thought that he was a knob, but that was unrelated.

“Um…” Louis appears flustered, a first for someone like him that it almost makes it worthwhile. That is, until he turns and points at Niall and says, “he wants to talk to you.”

 _I don’t_ , Niall frowns but bites it back because he doesn’t necessarily want to be a douche to someone he hasn’t even formally met. 

“Oh?” The guy quirks a brow, rising higher once his eyes catch the cardboard in Niall’s hands, which Niall instantly tries to hide behind his back, but from the way the guy's lips curve into a tiny smirk, Niall knows he's seen it. 

“I’m not kissing you,” the guys deadpans but there’s a sly ease about him, almost freshly different because there’s something about this guy, Harry Styles (who boasts of 3 million subscribers). But perhaps it could just be the strangeness of their encounter rather than Harry.

Or maybe it's the way he's watching Niall that's getting to him, a weird feeling making it's way to Niall's chest as he fights it back by swallowing thickly. 

“Uh…” Niall hears Louis let out, shaking his head as he attempts to shift his expression into an uninterested one.

“I wasn’t asking you to,” Niall counters back once he's regained his voice, catching the way Harry’s brows rise a bit.

“Really?” Harry hums out loud, adding in an amused voice, “Your sign could’ve fooled me,” and with that, Louis' expression shifts rapidly, as if the light bulb is going off somewhere in his head.

“We were filming a video,” Louis clarifies, regaining some of his composure. The revelation does nothing to Harry, though, staring hard at Niall.  

“I figured,” Harry nods, eyes quickly roaming Niall's face before going to Louis. “About what?”

“It’s a kissing prank.”

“Isn’t that a bit forward?” Harry eyes the sign, the shade of his green eyes making him look all the more icy and smug.

“It’s an experiment,” Louis lets out through a deep breath because it’s the tenth time he’s had to explain this. “We’re trying to see how many people will act upon this when given the opportunity.”

“I see,” Harry nods, looking at Niall with a blank face. “Do you talk?” he asks, a hint of a grin on his face, as if he knows that this will only wind-up Niall. Which coincidentally, it does. 

“Yeah,” Niall grumbles, a bit annoyed but forcing back the way he wants to narrow his eyes in response.

“He’s my cameraman,” Louis explains, still relishing in the moment of what he thinks was another brilliant response of his. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking people.”

“Gotcha,” Harry smugly says, coughing into his hand. He takes a small moment to clear his throat before speaking again, instantly making Niall regret agreeing that it was a good idea to do this prank.

“Mind if I watch,” is Harry’s small request, except it doesn’t even sound like a question but more or less a statement, as if saying,  _I’m watching._

Niall lets his face shift into its confused state, the adrenaline in his body and Harry's cheeky smile a dangerous combination to his desire to say some snarky remark. However, something tells him that it's exactly what Harry's looking to get out him so he doesn't. 

“Oh…uh, sure,” Louis looks confused but nods.

“Good,” Harry says, shifting over to Niall, as if attempting to taunt him or make him nervous with their close contact. Niall rolls his eyes at that, but gets out his camera and starts filming, a complete silence surrounding the two as they watch Louis pester a group of girls.

“He’s coming off too strong,” Harry says when the girls leave, voice losing some of its smugness and replaced by a thoughtful tone.

Niall nods in agreement involuntarily. “I know,” he says, grumbling when he realizes that he's harmonizing Harry's statement, but keeps filming when more people walk towards them.

It goes on for another 15 minutes until they finally get someone to agree, as both Louis and Niall let out a breath of relief and have the girl fill out consent forms.

“How long are you going to be doing this?” Harry asks, as if Niall will know the answer.

“I dunno. I reckon – ”

“Not that,” Harry shakes his head. “I mean, how much longer do you see yourself doing these types of pranks?”

And,  _oh_. The question leaves Niall flabbergasted, lips parting open in surprise. It's the way Harry's eyes are looking into him that baffles Niall. It's the way they're missing their know-it-all attitude. And, it's the way that Harry's expressing curiosity that startle Niall, unable to hide just how much.

“I…” Niall starts but the words aren’t coming. Harry accepts it though, grinning slightly, but turns and walks away. Just like that.

Louis turns just as they finish, frowning when he sees Harry walking.

“Hey! Ask him if we can use his footage,” Louis rummages through his papers, shoving a clipboard of consent forms to Niall’s chest roughly in his hurry.

“But we don’t need him,” Niall says, frowning.

“The fuck we do! He’ll bring in more views!”

“We – ”

“Ask him before he leaves,” Louis presses, and it’s because this is a team effort that Niall sucks it up but goes after Harry, still fairly irritated, but making his way through the sea of people to catch up to him.

“Hey!” He calls but Harry doesn’t turn.

“Harry!” Niall calls out louder, and at this Harry turns, looking confused but slightly pleased when he sees Niall.

“Yeah?” he says slowly, caught off guard but still very visibly composed.

 _Just ask so you can leave_ , Niall tells himself, half trying to convince himself that he's irritated from doing this, as he shoves the clipboard in Harry’s hands much more roughly than intended.

“Can we use the footage of you?”

“It’s your video, mate,” Harry shrugs, still curious. And it's obvious by the way he's nodding with a smile on face that he's  _really_  enjoying this. 

“Just sign it,” Niall says, voice stern. 

Harry doesn't appear to mind, though, taking the clipboard without hesitation.

“You know, you could’ve just asked for my number if you wanted it,” Harry mumbles, but Niall ignores that, watching Harry fill out the paper.

“What’s your name?” Harry asks suddenly, handing Niall the clipboard back, eyes reflecting a large amount of intrigue.

“Why do you want to know?” Niall blurts out, genuinely…confused? He’s not sure what it is exactly, but it’s the only plausible explanation for the loud beating of his heart.

Harry keeps his face serious, though, voice casual when he says, “you know mine but I don’t know yours. It’s only fair, right?” Harry questions, making it sound like a fair tradeoff when it really isn’t.

But, still. There’s something different about the way he was speaking to Niall earlier that makes Niall hesitate this time around, taking a moment before clearing his throat.

“Niall,” Niall says, aware of that strange feeling once again near his gut when he meets Harry’s eyes.

Harry nods at that.

“See you around,” he says, tone indicating that they will be seeing each other again, before turning to walk away, leaving a confused but amused Niall to look after him.

*

_4,300,902 views_

Niall squints at the number, back hunched over, with his fingers hovering over the keys of his laptop.

“I told you having him would help,” Louis says after a moment, grinning widely as he pokes at Niall’s side.

“Huh?” Niall raises a brow, keeping his eyes on the screen, as if trying to figure out what was wrong with it. “What makes you say he’s responsible for this?”

“Mate,” Louis let out an airy laugh in response, lips curving up into a slight smile. “Just look at the comments,” he says, patting Niall on his way back to his “work-room,” leaving Niall alone with the computer.

Niall sighs loudly but reluctantly scrolls down, not surprised that Louis’ irritating remarks are confirmed when he sees that the majority of the comments are indeed about one specific person, which coincidentally is neither Louis nor Niall.

_2:50-3:44 you’ll thank me later_

_where’s harry?_

_thumbs up if your hear for harrie_

_Harry was the only good thing in this video,_

_Hey isn’t that harry styles? What’s he doing in this??_

_OmGGGG it’s Harry!! He’s sOO –_

Niall grits his teeth as his jaw tenses. Evidently Louis wasn’t lying then, he thinks, rolling his eyes but takes a breath to compose himself. He’s beginning to feel his chest swell up with annoyance but forces himself to stay still, inhaling another air to dwindle some of his anger, before continuing looking at the comments shortly.

_Three fit guys in a video, nice. xxxX_

_how do people like that exist_

_Hey, did anyone notice how harry was looking at niall??_

Wait a minute. That wasn’t…

 _What is this?_  Niall thinks, pausing as he hovers over the comment to see that it has 79 likes and loads of other comments attached to it. Why it would even have that many responses is strange, but it can’t be that crazy if so many people are commentating, Niall reasons.

Curious, he presses the  _View all 34 replies_  button, eyes idly wide and shinning with wonder as he continues reading.

_yeah! I thought I was the only one but harry so totally wants niall. XX_

“ _No_. He  _doesn’t_ ,” Niall grumbles as he rolls his eyes but keeps scrolling.

_Harry wants niall? lol k i guess B)_

_Harry and Niall should start a channel together and just makeout with each other. Badum tss I’ll let myself out…_

_Fuck I ship them what shall we call them? Narry or hiall?_

_Narry!_

_Noooooooo but I like Hiall more! :(_

_Omg >:DDD harry’s face when he saw niall i’m sre uarming_

_I’ve been waiting 2 years for you guys to make a video together. This is a moment for me._

_Who else had a heart attack when it was Harry that Niall called out. Oh my God that was soooooo cute_ _❤❤_

_New OTP pLS I LOvE THEM TOGETHER AND N E E E D THEM TO Do MORE VIDEOS TOGetHEr NOW! I Just –_

Niall clicks the exit button and pulls an annoyed face, wishing that he had an option of deleting comments. But then again, that would just make this into a bigger issue than it needed to be, wouldn’t it?

 _Definitely_ , Niall thinks, shaking his head as he goes back to editing a new video.

*

It’s late into editing that Louis comes in again, a weird look on his face that Niall can’t exactly track down.

“What?” Niall lets out through a tired breath, hands going through his hair as he pulls softly.

Louis frowns, “Oh nothing, but did you see…” he trails off, causing Niall to lift a brow. For Louis to be tongue-tied meant it definitely wasn’t anything ordinary.

“Yeah?” asks Niall, voice amused and intrigued.

“You didn’t – ” Louis’ voice is unsure this time around. Niall knows that the words are hanging at the tip of his lips, but for some reason he’s holding back, frowning now at Louis’ reluctance.

“Just…” Louis sighs, speaking with caution. “Did you see the comments?” and oh. So that’s what he was getting at.

“You mean the ones about me and Harry?” Niall inquires with a brow arched. Louis nods, staring at him with a blank face, as if expecting the worst possible reaction to come out of Niall. However, Niall only shrugs lightly.

“What about them?” he asks, voice indifferent.

“Nothing,” Louis says quickly, “I just thought it’d bother you a bit more, but you seem okay with it,” he says, but it comes out sounding so confused, as if saying,  _why are you okay with it?_

Niall smiles softly at that, turning to look at Louis carefully. “I was there, Louis. I think I would’ve noticed if Harry eye fucked me like so many of those girls claimed,” Niall looks back at the screen. “They’re just having a bit of fun. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Okay,” Louis’ voice is still off. “But if it does bother you, you’d tell me?”

 _Why would I trust you with that?_  Niall wants to say just to tease Louis, but stops himself when he catches the way he’s staring at Niall. His eyes are almost concerned, and Niall thinks that this is the most serious he’s seen him in the longest, so he smiles instead, handing him a big grin in response.

“I would.”

*

It’s two hours left until his deadline that Niall decides the most reasonable option is to take a break.

Louis left a while ago after having completed his editing, leaving Niall alone late in the middle of the night, but realistically, this is the part Niall likes the most. Not that he minds having Louis around but it’s just much more… _relaxing_  being there without having someone to pester him, which he’s pretty sure Louis would say about him too.

Niall smiles at the thought as he goes to his Twitter homepage, checking out his notifications. However, there’s immediately something off because Niall’s mentions are far beyond that of normalcy. He’s used to getting a lot of tweets but 449 in the span of 4 minutes?

“Now what,” Niall grumbles, reading his mentions, almost sucking in a breath when he sees another name attached to it.

 _Harry Styles_.

@harrystyles would you ever collaborate with @Louis_Tomilson and @NiallOfficial?

That was written 20 minutes ago, but there’s already a response to it and it’s from none other than Harry.

@zoexo I’d love to, but that’s up to them. H

 _9 minutes ago_ , Niall reads. So that explains the heaps of mentions he’s getting, he realizes, shaking his head at Harry’s response but keeps reading each tweet carefully.

@NiallOfficial my two faves communicating i think i’m dreaming.

@NiallOfficial pls say yes

@NiallOfficial I would die if you guys did!!

@NiallOfficial why haven’t you answered Harry’s tweet??

And at that, Niall stops, frowning in his confusion as his eyes widen underneath his brows. Slowly, he clicks on Harry’s twitter handle, linking him to Harry’s page. And just as expected, there’s another tweet directed at him, except this time it’s just from Harry.

@NiallOfficial I just met you and this is crazy…call me maybe? xx

Niall looks at it carefully.

_Harry wants Niall. He so wants him. Just look at the way he’s looking at him. They need to be together. They’re perfect. They…_

The thought is beyond ridiculous but…why kill all the hope? Niall thinks, smug smile on his face as he drafts his response of 9 letters and two words.

@harrystyles yeah, maybe !

*

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [here](http://arie-172.tumblr.com/) if you want to come say hi.


End file.
